Sacked SMRT employees will get to lodge appeals: Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE — Transport operator SMRT has given two employees sacked over a fatal train accident near Pasir Ris MRT station until next week to lodge appeals, labour chief Chan Chun Sing said on Friday (Sept 16).

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the U Human Resource Leaders Forum, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general said the affected staff members, including the train driver, will be represented by the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) in the appeal.

Mr Chan said that the NTWU had previously communicated with SMRT, to explain how the situation could be best handled and would continue to “represent our workers to see how we can best manage this issue”.

“There’s actually a process. SMRT has given the workers until next week to submit their appeal and the union will be helping the workers to make the appeal ... and we’ll discuss with SMRT on the next course of action,” he said.

News emerged on Wednesday that the transport operator had fired two employees involved in the March 22 tragedy, triggering a public backlash.

Trainees Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, and Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26, were killed on the tracks while doing routine maintenance work after being hit by an oncoming train.

This was the first time a fatality involving SMRT staff has happened on the North-South and East-West lines.